1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to a solid-state imaging apparatus comprising lenses for condensing light on photodetection parts having a photoelectric conversion function.
2. Description of the Background Art
A solid-state imaging apparatus comprising lenses for condensing light on photodetection parts having a photoelectric conversion function is known in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-104414 (1994), for example.
FIG. 27 is a sectional view showing the structure of a conventional solid-state imaging apparatus 102 comprising lenses for condensing light on photodetection parts disclosed in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-104414. Referring to FIG. 27, the conventional solid-state imaging apparatus 102 comprises a substrate 104. A plurality of photodetection parts 105 having a photoelectric conversion function of converting incident light to charge signals are formed on the surface of the substrate 104 at prescribed intervals. A passivation layer 106 having a flat upper surface is formed on the substrate 104. A plurality of lenses 107 having upwardly projecting upper surface portions 107a for condensing light on the photodetection parts 105 are formed on the passivation layer 106 at prescribed intervals. The lenses 107 are so arranged that lens centers 107d thereof coincide with the centers of the photodetection parts 105. A flattened layer 108 is formed to fill up the clearances between adjacent pairs of the lenses 107 while covering the upper surface portions 107a of the lenses 107. A color filter layer 109 is formed on the flattened layer 108. The lenses 107 arranged between the color filter layer 109 and the substrate 104 in the aforementioned manner are referred to as inner lenses or the like, dissimilarly to microlenses formed on the color filter layer 109. A plurality of microlenses 111 are formed on the color filter layer 109 through the flattened layer 110 at prescribed intervals.
In the conventional solid-state imaging apparatus 102 shown in FIG. 27 having the color filter layer 109 formed on the upper surface portions 107a of the lenses 107 through the flattened layer 108, however, the vertical dimension of the solid-state imaging apparatus 102 is disadvantageously increased due to the thickness of the flattened layer 108 located between the upper surface portions 107a of the lenses 107 and the lower surface of the color filter layer 109. Thus, the conventional solid-state imaging apparatus 102 having the lenses 107 provided between the substrate 104 and the color filter layer 109 is disadvantageously difficult to miniaturize.